Racing: Champion jump jockey Tony McCoy has been cleared to ride at next week's Cheltenham Festival.
The Irishman has not ridden a race since suffering a back injury in January but after a medical inspection last night, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has given him the green light.
"Our chief medical adviser has passed him fit to ride," BHA spokesman Paul Struthers said.
McCoy, 33, was treated for a fractured vertebrae after a heavy fall at Warwick, on January 12th. The 12-time champion jockey has ridden 132 winners this season.
His therapy has been aided by kriotherapy treatment, which involves stepping into a compressed compartment in which temperatures drop to around minus-130 degrees and helps improve blood circulation.
McCoy's rapid recovery stepped up another gear last week when he resumed work-riding for Carl Llewellyn and Jonjo O'Neill.
However, Dr Turner asked for an independent assessment from specialist Peter Hamlyn, who saw McCoy on Thursday evening.
Hamlyn's report charting McCoy's progress was enough to satisfy Dr Turner to give him the all-clear this morning.
"He's in the middle of a rehab programme, but as far as we are concerned he can start to get back to race-riding from Saturday onwards," added Dr Turner.
"He's coming along nicely and as he's been riding out for a while now, he can now progress to the next stage - which is race-riding."
Having been given the go-ahead to resume race-riding on Saturday, McCoy will take the reins aboard Rapid Increase and Tarlac at Sandown.
Rapid Increase, trained by Jonjo O'Neill, runs in the EBF Sunderlands "National Hunt" Novices' Handicap Hurdle Final, while the latter takes on 23 rivals in the Sunderlands Imperial Cup.
Nicky Henderson's Tarlac returns from almost a year off in the valuable handicap but had McCoy in the plate when finishing second in the Ladbroke of 2006.
McCoy will also be in action at Hereford on Sunday, where he has been booked to ride O'Neill's Maremotto in the WBX.com For 0% Commission Offers At Cheltenham Novices' Hurdle.